#279 of 900 things to do in Rio de Janeiro

Architectural Buildings

What people are saying

“Currently under renovation but visits are allowed”

Jun 2015

Even though it's under renovations it's worth the visit (if you are a history/architecture fan). The ground floor has amazing hand painted tiles and there is free access to the first 2 floors, unfortunately there is no way to get to the Burle Marx gardens (only see them from far).

“a sad example of how old rio was destroyed”

Dec 2014

and gave place to this.In the days Rio was the capital of Brazil, this building had the Ministry of Education. It is a nice building to see from the outside,

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The area

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Neighbourhood: Centro

Downtown Rio is the place where this city was born. With modern skyscrapers sharing space with historical buildings and landmarks, this neighbourhood is living proof that the old and the new can live together harmoniously. As you would expect, downtown is where all major companies house their offices. However, the region isn’t restricted to businesses. Gems such like the “Paço Imperial,” which is a cultural centre that used to serve as a residence for governors of Brazil, can be found here. Pedra do Sal, a Monday night street party, is also in this neighbourhood. This landmark is the birthplace of samba and is famous for its “roda de sambas” (“dance circles”). Stop in for one and get closer to discovering where Brazilian happiness comes from.

How to get there

Cinelândia • 4 min walk
Carioca • 7 min walk

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Best nearby

We rank these restaurants and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location.

Restaurants

2,038 within 3 miles

Curto Cafe

1,009

0.3 mi£ • Speciality Food Market • Cafe

Hachiko

2,205

0.3 mi££££ • Japanese • Seafood • Sushi

Bistrô Sesc Convento do Carmo

82

0.4 mi££ - £££ • Brazilian

Trattoria 1958

313

0.3 mi££ - £££ • Italian • Brazilian • Pizza

Demi Glace

297

0.2 mi££ - £££ • Brazilian • Contemporary • South American

Bar Do Elias

181

0.2 mi££ - £££ • Brazilian • International • Mediterranean

Amarelinho

954

0.2 mi££ - £££ • Brazilian • Bar

Pampa Grill Centro

199

0.1 mi££ - £££ • Steakhouse • Brazilian • Barbecue

Galeto Monte Gordo

177

0.3 mi££ - £££ • Steakhouse • Brazilian • Grill

Veggie Govinda

191

0.3 mi££ - £££ • Indian • Vegetarian Friendly • Vegan Options

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Attractions

613 within 6 miles

Museu Nacional De Belas Artes

961

0.1 miSpeciality Museums

Igreja São José

43

317 ftHistoric Sites • Points of Interest & Landmarks

Biblioteca Nacional

810

0.1 miLibraries

Igreja de Santa Luzia

36

383 ftChurches & Cathedrals

SESI - Rio de Janeiro Theater

31

478 ftTheatres

Praca do Expedicionario

4

516 ftParks • Gardens

Edifício Santos Dumont

4

487 ftObservation Decks & Towers

Federal Estate Museum

1

317 ftSpeciality Museums

Maison de France Theater

54

0.1 miTheatres

Theatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro

10,112

0.2 miTheatres

See all

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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

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4.0

40 reviews

Excellent

14

Very good

22

Average

3

Poor

0

Terrible

1

Ronny V

Amstelveen, The Netherlands46 contributions

Edifício Gustavo Capanema: Amazing example of modernist architecture in Brazil

Jul 2011 • Business

The names involved in this project say it all: Lucio Costa, Carlos Leão, Oscar Niemeyer, Affonso Eduardo Reidy, Ernâni Vasconcellos, Jorge Machado Moreira, Le Corbusier and Roberto Burle Marx. And inside there's art work on sight from Cândido Portinari, Alberto Guignard, Pancetti, Bruno Giorgi, Jacques Lipchitz and Celso Antônio Silveira de Menezes.

It's really worth to book a free guided tour at the ministry. One of the levels has a little exhibition about the creation of the building. But more impressing is the meeting room with giant murals by Cândido Portinari. At the same level we could walk in the roof garden. We were even allowed to join the guard to the upper floor, where we had a fantastic sight on Rio de Janeiro. The building needs indeed some refreshment but after all, a Five Star Building stays a Five Star Building.

Written 12 June 2012

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Evelyn B

Maracaibo, Venezuela253 contributions

Currently under renovation but visits are allowed

Jun 2015 • Friends

Even though it's under renovations it's worth the visit (if you are a history/architecture fan). The ground floor has amazing hand painted tiles and there is free access to the first 2 floors, unfortunately there is no way to get to the Burle Marx gardens (only see them from far).

Written 8 July 2015

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Frederico N

Rio de Janeiro297 contributions

Landmark of Brazilian Architecture

But in very bad state these days. Just for architecture lovers.

Written 20 January 2012

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

mvq2014

Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia99 contributions

a sad example of how old rio was destroyed

Dec 2014 • Friends

and gave place to this.In the days Rio was the capital of Brazil, this building had the Ministry of Education. It is a nice building to see from the outside,

Written 29 December 2014

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

PedroM0

Rio de Janeiro, RJ492 contributions

Great Architecture

In the days Rio was the capital of Brazil, this building had the Ministry of Education. It is a nice building to see from the outside, and a great example of what was being done in Brazil the 1940s.

Written 27 December 2011

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.